Bishop John led us in a celebration of the beginning of Lent. Stay with us, Lord, on our journey is his prayer for the whole Diocese, and it’s especially apt as an accompaniment to the Lenten journey. My musical setting serves both as a simple ostinato refrain in the Taizé style, or as a song with verses that can be sung contemplatively or as a rousing recessional. More of the latter next Sunday, for the Rite of Election, but tonight we sang it as a gentle refrain for the prayers of intercession, as we will throughout Lent. The piece can be freely downloaded from the Diocesan Liturgy Office web site. (Scroll to the bottom of the home page and click on the second pair of links.) Let me know if you find it useful.

The Byrd was a fine addition to our collection of settings of the Miserere, Ps 50(51), to add to Allegri, Lassus, Lotti and Pergolesi. Scored for five voices, SATBB, it was a challenge on an evening when only four men of the choir were available. But we did well (as did the sopranos and altos).

Three songs about God our refuge, invoked in today’s Psalm response. It struck me as odd that today’s entrance antiphon as rendered in the 2010 Missal Translation misses a connection here: the Latin has the word refugium twice, but the official translation gives it as stronghold, rather than the (more accurate, I think) refuge. I wonder why? One of the vaunted attributes of the new translation was supposed to be the way it brings out scriptural allusions that were hidden in the old version. They seem to have missed this one.

Welcome

This is a record of musical activities at St John's Cathedral, Salford - what we've been doing and what's coming up, and some thoughts on the musical planning process. You can also find information about joining the choir, and about our choral scholarships program.